Yo, what’s good? I’m Dan and let me tell you, there’s been mad talk about the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and their stance on weed. With 24 states fully legalizing it and 40 states allowing medical marijuana, people are starting to rethink how they approach Mary Jane. Around 88% of Americans are for legalization in some form and only a measly 10% are against it. But yo, it ain’t easy – the ATF is holding weed to a different standard than alcohol.
So what makes weed different from the other intoxicant, alcohol? Bruh, drug possession is still the main reason for arrests. The highest number of arrests were for all drugs (estimated at 1,552,432 arrests) followed by driving under the influence (DUI) (estimated at 1,282,957).
Now here’s the thing: misdemeanor DUI charges don’t take away your right to purchase, own, or possess a firearm. Unless you have three or more DUIs or felony DUI charges that result in injury or death, or if the DUI is part of a package of other crimes you’ve committed – then you’re screwed.
But get this – under a law from way back in 1968, the ATF has said that users of weed can’t buy or own guns. This includes states that have legalized recreational use. Until weed becomes legal on a federal level, people who use cannabis will continue to be banned from shipping, transporting, receiving or possessing firearms and ammunition as per the ATF.
Let me break it down for you – you gotta be convicted three times with an alcohol DUI to lose your gun rights OR be caught casually consuming cannabis. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism estimates that 25-30% of violent crimes in the United States are linked to the use of alcohol. According to a report from the U.S. Dept. of Justice, that translates to around five million alcohol-related violent crimes per year. But yo, the government doesn’t even track violent acts specifically related to weed use. It’s never been associated with violence in the first place.
Medical marijuana, according to the government, is helpful for pain and treating some diseases. But if you’re a patient that consumes, the ATF says you lose your Second Amendment right.
Look, man, bureaucracy takes time to change. This should be a bipartisan issue since states like Missouri, Montana, and Arizona are all legalized up. Weed should be treated more fairly, ya dig?